Rain, rain
by freckledfangirl
Summary: The story of Juvia and her journey to becoming the powerful mage she is today. Follows her throughout the Phantom Lord Arc, possibly further if I decide to go on. Eventual romance, please be patient.
1. Prologue

Juvia always knew it would be hard to make friends. She was used to being lonely; who would want to hang out where it was raining all of the time? She had to adapt, steel her heart from the hurt others could cause and find solace in something other than human interaction. Growing up, she used to read. Her wobbly little hands would prop open her favorite storybook underneath her umbrella, and she would sit cross-legged and immerse herself in the world of fairy tails.

The prince always saved the princess. He was always there- dutifully by her side, willing to protect her at all costs. Juvia used to daydream about her prince. Kids would tease her, people used her, but Juvia's image of her perfect raven-haired prince never left her mind. She knew she'd find him someday, she just had to wait.

As Juvia grew, she realized there was no prince coming for her. That was just her naïve childhood mind wishing for an escape, for a reason to be weak, waiting for someone to make everything better for her. If she was going to be strong, she needed to be independent; she needed to stop her daydreaming and train herself in the use of magic. If her prince wasn't coming for her, she was damn well going to learn to protect herself. And so she did.

After being not only accepted, but _welcomed _into the Phantom Lord guild, she was utterly thrilled. Juvia had matured though, she wasn't so childish as to think they wanted _her_, the master wanted the powerful use of her water magic for his own use. The blunette knew that no one else would put up with her constant rain, she had lost enough boyfriends to know that, so she was willing to accept the guild at face value. They accepted and respected her, Juvia thought this was what being happy felt like.

Days passed, then months, and Juvia fell into a comfortable routine around her guild. Most everyone avoided her, but she was there to do jobs- to make money for herself and to keep expanding the range of her magic, not to socialize. However, soon an elite group of mages formed: The element four. Juvia thought the name was silly, especially since the dragonslayer hung around most of the time, making them a five member team, but she held her tongue and accepted every whim of her master without question.

The dragonslayer, Gajeel Redfox. Often, she'd observe him from across the guild. He had hair the same color as her prince, but it was far too long, his nose was too sharp, and his eyes smaller than she'd imagined. She shook her head gently laughing to herself and resolved to never consider it again. He was of an odd sort, a loner much like herself, but more confident; more content with where he was in life. Juvia envied him for that. One day, she got the courage to approach him. She squared her shoulders and lifted her delicate chin in the air. "Juvia admires you," she said simply. She turned to walk away before he caught her shoulder.

"You've got some spunk," he admitted. "No one around here really talks to me. Not like I care, but, er, thanks," he scoffed. He nodded, and she left. From there, their makeshift friendship grew, sometimes they even spoke for a period of time longer than 3 minutes. _This must be what it's like to have a friend, _Juvia thought to herself.

Her master began to grow restless. She'd heard murmurs among the other members that another guild that was causing him grief, and that the master had accepted a job from a wealthy man who was connected to it somehow. Juvia knew they'd be on the offensive soon, and she began to train more to ready herself for an inevitable battle. Jobs had never been enough for her other guild-mates. Juvia knew: they were out for blood.

Not a week later she heard the full details. The guild Fairy Tail had become somewhat of a nuisance, in what sense she'd never know, but they were there to capture one girl, a simple celestial mage. Juvia resisted her urge to roll her eyes, she knew there was a reason for it. However, if things turned sour, her master had other things in mind. He wanted Fairy Tail wiped out. The element four were to play a critical role in taking down the fairies. Her magic essence was going to be connected to a larger machine. The water mage was unsure of the exact mechanics, but she was willing to fight for her master, and this is what he expected of her.

Their plan was to be set in motion in three days time, the contract needed to be fulfilled within the week. Juvia knew what she had to do, and she thought she was ready for whatever would come her way.


	2. Drip, drip, drop

**Sorry about the awkward update, it took forever since I've been re-watching the entire arc to make sure situations and quotes are accurate, and I'm still getting used to how to post things on here. **

"Gihehe," Gajeel giggled as he clapped his hands together admiring his handiwork. "Those fairy butts will never have seen this coming, I only wish I could be there to see their faces. He wiped his hands nonchalantly on the rough fabric of his pants and smirked.

Juvia had followed him to the Fairy Tail Guild hall. Originally she had just wanted to look from afar, to see what they were up against. People had always underestimated how observant she could be, and she always used that to her advantage, but she had never foreseen this.

The water mage wasn't very experienced in the social realm, so she was unsure of how far someone could take a joke before it became too much, but she was pretty sure Gajeel had gone too far. According to the dragon slayer, Phantom and Fairy Tail had always been on bad terms, but as Juvia looked around their guild hall, their home, with iron beams sticking out every which way, she couldn't help but feel saddened. She knew she could never tell Gajeel what she thought, though. He was the closest thing to a friend she had ever had, and she was not about to ruin that.

"Whaddya think?" he asked with a chuckle.

Juvia shook her head slowly. "Juva isn't sure what to think, Gajeel-san," she answered honestly.

Gajeel laughed again and set a hand on her shoulder. "This is only the beginning, water girl; don't get a weak stomach on me now." He turned and began to walk home.

Juvia attempted a smile and walked a few paces behind him through the darkened night and back toward her own apartment. She waved a quiet goodbye to Gajeel and went up the stairs leading to her room. Juvia knew she'd be getting no sleep tonight.

xxxxxxx

Her rain was coming down harder today than it had in a long time. Juvia held her umbrella close as she walked toward the guild. Her brow was furrowed in thought; to be honest, she felt guilty for the previous night. Although she hadn't done anything personally, Gajeel really ruined the Fairy Tail guild hall. Juvia looked up at the Phantom Lord castle, with the sign that hung above the door frame. Whenever she saw this, she felt at home, safe. Did the others feel that too? What would the Fairy Tail members feel like when they arrived to see their home destroyed? The bluenette shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of these thoughts. She closed her umbrella as she stepped through the door, shaking out her damp clothing.

"Sheesh, water girl. We can always tell when you're almost here," Gajeel said, sauntering up to her and looking at the rain clouds outside the window.

"Drip, drip, drop," Juvia said sarcastically.

Gajeel smirked and looked down at her. "So, I'm thinking I'm going to strike again, tonight. You in?"

Juvia chewed her lip nervously and shook her head. "Juvia thinks she will stay in her apartment tonight."

The dragon slayer scoffed and walked away. Juvia rubbed the back of her neck. Why was she starting to feel so weak? To doubt her guild? This wasn't right. Juvia resolved to have some tea and relax later that night. She knew she was being silly, she just needed to think their plan through.

xxxxxxxx

Juvia woke up again to the familiar spattering of rain against the window. After a few moments, she was ready to head back to the guild. She walked into the dimly lit room right after Gajeel. Their fellow guild-mates clapped and hooted as he walked past, congratulating him as he made his way to a nearby table. Juvia felt refreshed, and she settled into her normal corner to watch as the events unfolded. Their master, Jose, came out to congratulate Gajeel personally.

"That alone won't make them act," Gajeel snarled, "so I left them a little extra present." Shivers ran up Juvia's spine, but she held her tongue.

"Well, well. Just make sure to keep that one alive, please," the master muttered.

"Gihehe," Gajeel chuckled, as he turned and went back to eating his stack of iron. Juvia shook her head again. _Juvia will just do her part, and not think too much of it. This is a job after all, if the client is happy, master is happy. Then things can go back to normal. _Juvia looked up just in time to see Jose approaching her.

"Juvia," he said slowly. "I have a special job for you.

Juvia nodded and looked at him expectantly. "Juvia will do as you wish."

He gave a crooked smile. "The fairies are going to be angry after what transpired last night. My guess is that they will come in a matter of hours. When the rest of the fairies come, I need you to capture the girl. He held up a picture of a pretty blonde in a large gown. "She'll be dressed differently, but remember her face. Capture her, and bring her to me. I'd suggest leaving now if you want to find her in time."

Juvia nodded again and left before her guild-mates could notice her absence. After traveling the short distance to Magnolia and wandering the streets for about an hour, Juvia caught her first glimpse of the blonde. She hid behind a wall and watched her as she carried her grocery bags down the cobblestone street. Juvia rushed ahead so she could cut her off. The blonde remarked something about the weather change, but Juvia ignored it.

"Drip, drip, drop," she said quietly. "Juvia is the rain-woman. Drip, drip, drop."

"Who-who might you be?" the other girl asked nervously.

Juvia resisted a smile, people's reaction to her never failed to amuse her. "Drip, drip, drop," she popped open her umbrella, and began to walk past the fairy. "It was a pleasure. Fare thee well."

"Like, what the heck?!"

"Non, non non. Non, non, non, non," Juvia's fellow member of the element four mumbled as he emerged from the stone street. Juvia ignored him as he mumbled something else unintelligible; she had always thought this guy was annoying. "Juvia-sama, you mustn't abandon your job now."

"Monsieur Sol," Juvia said politely.

Sol proceeded to inform the blonde that she was their target. Juvia rolled her eyes at him as he introduced himself.

"The element four? Phantom!" the girl screeched.

"Yes, we two have come to collect you for the Great Phantom Lord. And this is the rain-woman of the element four," he said gesturing toward Juvia, who was currently peeved that her master sent Sol to help her. "People call her Juvia of the deep," the man continued.

Seeing the girl reach for some keys at her waist, Juvia gathered water around her hands. _A celestial wizard_? She wondered.

"How dare you do that to Levy-chan!"

Juvia got more aggravated as the girl continued to screech angrily and sent a water lock around her.

"Non, non, non. With non of three, I correct your error," Sol said, twirling his moustache, "Attacking your guild and attacking Levy-sama was all the work of Gajeel-sama!"

"What is this? Let me go!" she said, struggling in the water.

"Juvia's water lock cannot be broken," Juvia said calmly. "Do not fear, Juvia will not kill you, because it is Juvia's job to bring back… Lucy Heartfilia." Lucy stopped struggling in the water. "We have captured the target," Juvia continued, addressing Sol. "Drip, drip, drop."

Sol meandered ahead as Juvia trailed her water-locked prisoner behind toward where their master was waiting.

"I see you found her easily, I would have expected no less," Jose said as they entered. "Such a pretty thing, he mumbled. The girl had passed out a while ago, so Juvia let her out of the water so the master could bind her hands.

He clapped his hands together and licked his thin, dark lips. "This is perfect, Makaraov will love this." The master shooed her away and carried the blonde up the stairs and into a separate room. Juvia breathed deeply. At least that bit was over, now they had to get ready for the second day of action.

**I know, the lack of Gruvia is killing me, but I needed to establish her character. Next chapter will be when they meet!**


	3. You are my sunshine

"Start up the giant," Jose called.

Juvia's magic was now essential to the defeat of Fairy Tail. The Jupiter cannon had failed; she reached out a hand to steady herself as the guild hall began to transform. She hadn't expected this to happen so soon. The building lurched again and she caught herself on the stone walls. Once the transformation was over she headed toward the roof.

It wouldn't be long before the fairies figured out that the spell being cast was linked to the element four: Juvia knew better than to underestimate her opponents. Once outside, she realized how hard her rain was pouring. She was stressed. Not only were mages coming to try and kill her, but if she failed she would lose for her guild. Could she do that? It's not like they particularly cared about her, and she had her doubts about the master's motives, but they had accepted her when no one else had. Didn't she owe them a sense of loyalty? Juvia shook her head, trying to rid herself of the conflicting thoughts. The rain began to fall harder. Juvia could have screamed, she felt so overwhelmed.

She could feel the power of the giant waning, someone had been defeated. She waited, another hit. There were only two now. How could this have happened so quickly? Were the Fairy Tail mages really this strong? She had no doubt who was left with her. Aria was the strongest of the four. It would only be a matter of moments before someone found her. Juvia clutched the doll hanging at her neck as she saw a head pop up and a man climb onto the roof.

This would be Juvia's opponent. She could not lose this fight. She watch him closely as he turned around, surveying the rooftop. He was handsome, there was no doubt about that, but she couldn't focus on that right now. What kind of magic user was he? He wasn't carrying anything, so he most likely wasn't a holder. He remarked something quietly about the weather and Juvia rolled her eyes, stepping out to approach him.

"Drip, drip, drop… Yes, Juvia is the rain woman, one of the element four. Drip, drip, drop," she deadpanned.

"You're one of the element four?" His deep voice sent shivers down Juvia's spine.

She couldn't help but think that the man looked familiar, she observed him closely. "I never would have thought that two of the elements could have been defeated, but do not underestimate Juvia and Aria."

"Sorry to break it to you, but I don't go easy on people who hurt my friends, even if they're women or children," he said seriously.

Their eyes met, and Juvia looked longingly at him. He was even more handsome than she had predicted. Then the realization hit her; he looked familiar because she had imagined him before. This was her raven-haired prince! Her heart began to beat rapidly and she spun around to hide her blush.

"R-really? Juvia gives up then! Goodbye!"

"Whoa there, what the heck?!" he called after her.

Juvia continued to walk away, trying to gain distance between them. "What is wrong with Juvia? Why is my heart beating so fast?" she mumbled to herself.

"Hey, wait! Stop the giant!" he started after her.

"Juvia wants to make him hers, Juvia can no longer hold back!" She spun around to face him. "Water lock!" And orb of water surrounded the man and she saw him wince in pain and grab at his side. "Oh no! He's injured! Whatever shall I do?!" Juvia squealed, her arms waving about. "I must release him quick or…" she trailed off.

Suddenly her water lock began to glow, then it shattered. _Shattered? _she thought, and realized what type of magic he possessed. "He escaped from Juvia's water lock with his own power? This is the power of an ice wizard? Exquisite!" she squealed again. Juvia couldn't help herself, she was rapidly reverting to the imaginative young child she once was, looking on with awe at her strong, handsome prince. _Water and ice, it's like we're bound by fate! _The bluenette retreated back to her dream world, where she hadn't been in some time. He held her hand tightly, she looked up at him lovingly… _I've finally found you, Juvia's prince!_

She was shaken from her fantasy by the ice wizard's voice. "Trying for a surprise attack, eh? You bastard," he said coldly, still clutching his injury. Quickly, he began to shrug off his shirt.

Juvia's eyes could have popped out of her skull. _Wh-why is he stripping? _Juvia's mind went in a million different directions. This meeting wasn't at all happening like she had read about in her storybooks. _I-I-I think we should take things more slowly!_

"I don't want to frighten a woman, but you'd better surrender immediately, otherwise you're going to get hurt. Ice make, lance!"

Juvia watched as his expression switched from aggressive to confused as his crafted weapons went straight through her. "Juvia's body is made of water. Yes… drip, drip, drop." She had to get hold of herself; Juvia hadn't been this absorbed by her own imagination since she was a child. All she had known since then was sadness and bitter disappointment. She couldn't let herself go down that road again. "That's right, he's an enemy," she told herself. But she couldn't help romanticizing the situation. This was her prince! "Torn apart by strife, that is our tearful fate! But Juvia will not lose heart." She had to win this fight, for Phantom. "Farewell, my small blossom of love!"

She resolved once again that she wouldn't lose her focus. "Water slicer!" she sent a series of jets above his head, hitting a part of the building. "High powered water jets can even cut through steel," she said seriously. "Underestimate water, and you'll regret it."

"Ice make battleaxe!" the man screamed. Again, the fabricated weapon went straight through her without doing any damage.

"Try and try again, but nothing will change. Against Juvia, physical attacks are ineffective. Yes… drip, drip, drop."

"She's a tough one…" he muttered under his breath.

"You cannot defeat Juvia," she said confidently. "You still have a chance to save yourself. Bring me Lucy Heartfilia, please." There had to be a way to avoid any further conflict with her prince… "If you do," she began slowly, "I'll ask my master to withdraw."

"Hey, don't give me that crap, we're both already way past the point of retreating; and Lucy is our nakama! I'll give up my life before handing her over to you!"

Juvia dropped her umbrella in shock. _Give up his life? _Juvia thought back to the pretty blonde who had escaped from their master. A pang of jealousy hit her like a tidal wave. _A love rival! _she thought subconsciously. Juvia wailed loudly, grabbing at her curls. "What pain! What harsh fate! My heart… my heart feels like it's going to be torn asunder! It hurts, it hurts…" she cried.

"What's wrong, are you ill?" the Fairy Tail member asked suddenly, watching her writhe in pain.

This is why Juvia didn't like to feel. She didn't want to feel this anguish ever again. "Juvia will not forgive," she said harshly. "Lucy shall not be forgiven!" Juvia sent a sudden burst of hot water toward her opponent.

"Ouch!" he exclaimed. "Boiling water? And why are you mad at Lucy?"

Juvia became even more enraged, sending another jet toward him, and he ducked quickly. "Ice make…" he trailed off as the water came back around, he jumped dexterously into the air to avoid it. "It's too fast! My creation magic can't keep up!" He leaped into the air again, trying to avoid another blow, but came down sliding on a puddle, nearly falling off the edge of the building before catching himself. "That was close!"

"Ever since Juvia was born, she's lived within the rain," she said, approaching him warily. "In the rain, there is no one who can defeat Juvia! Be boiled inside of Juvia's jealousy!" she screeched, gathering more water above her head.

"What?!" If the ice make wizard hadn't been confused before, he f=definitely was now as he dodged angry attacks, one after the other. "Ice make shield!" he held the block in the way if the boiling water for as long as he could. "What incredible heat, I can't stand it."

"I told you already, inside the rain is Juvia's world! No one can defeat Juvia!" she continued her attack as a wave of steam grew. She gasped when she realized he had disappeared. "He used the steam as a smokescreen?" she muttered in amazement. "He's not just a pretty face, he's smart too. So amazing!"

Juvia was left alone once more with her love-crazed mind. She had no other choice but to wait for him to come back… wait. She could hear his footsteps from below. He was approaching that window… now! Juvia sent another water beam downward, encasing him in more boiling water, and bringing him back up onto the rooftop. This was it, the last of her resolve. "This is the end for you!"

He turned while still in the air and froze her trail of water. Juvia was awestruck. "He flew straight into the boiling water… b-but…" she trailed off as he continued to turn her water to ice, until she was completely encapsulated. _Juvia's boiling water was frozen and… _her attention was suddenly brought to her right breast. Whether or not he intended to, he was firmly grasping it, she longed to react, but frozen as she was, she was unable to move. He squealed loudly, and she could feel her embarrassment mounting. _Like this, forever inside your ice…_

"Sorry!" he said quickly, releasing her from her frozen prison.

Juvia gazed at him intently. _He let me go? He's too kind! _She couldn't help but be entranced by his looks and actions.

"Let's start over again."

"No, I can't," Juvia admitted sadly. "Juvia cannot bring herself to harm you.

"Huh? You're admitting you can't win against me?" he asked in a slightly confused tone.

"Juvia is stronger than Lucy… Juvia will be able to protect you."

"Protect? Me?"

Juvia felt her face growing hot. "Because…" her heart raced, her stress levels increased, and her rain began to pour even harder. "I-I l-lo…"

The black haired mage looked upward and rubbed his neck, ignoring her. "Sheesh, not the rain's gotten stronger."

"Juvia is frustrated!" she squealed.

"Man, this rain is so gloomy…"

Juvia collapsed onto the ground.

"What's the matter?" he asked nervously.

"You're no different from the others," she said dejectedly. "You're all the same. Juvia has no need for love any more!"

_Gloomy… gloomy… gloomy… _the word echoed throughout her brain, drudging up memories of growing up, constantly teased and ignored, she had no friends, even though the beginning of her teenage years she used to follow around groups of other kids, hiding far enough away, but close enough to feel like she was hanging out with them _Man, this rain's so gloomy…. _She sewed countless teru teru bozu dolls, she just wanted to pray the rain away. Even Bora, the famous womanizer had broken up with her because of her rain. She hadn't minded so much when he left, he was awful to her to begin with. But the rain was her only constant companion._ So gloomy… gloomy… _Rage built up inside of her, she was seeing red, she knew she was about to burst.

Juvia send a barrage of water, hotter, stronger than ever before. He moved to try and freeze it, so she increased the temperature even more. "Love… who needs love?!" She sobbed silently. "Juvia is nothing bu a gloomy rain woman! But Phantom Lord accepted Juvia for who she is! Juvia is one of the element four, a Phantom wizard!" Juvia released her water burst and let her body be taken over by the water. She flew through the air, aiming for him.

"I'm not gonna lose, not to Phantom!" He was able to once again freeze her onslaught of attacks, even the rain in midair. Juvia flew backward, marveling at his incredible power. "Ice geyser!"

Juvia was covered in ice, then released back into the air, she flew up, then back down, off the edge of the guild hall. _I've lost… it's all over now… everything. Juvia, like a raindrop will fall to the ground and scatter into tiny fragments… a fitting end for an unwanted rain woman. Farewell, my gloomy self…_ Juvia had resigned herself to her own death, she was about to let go until she felt a hand clasp her own. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Don't let go of my hand! I'm not letting you fall!" he called out to her. He hoisted the rain woman back up and let her lay down next to him.

"Why did you save Juvia?" she asked him after a few moments of silence.

"Beats me," he said simply. "You must have used most of your magic, so get some sleep."

Juvia looked up at him, curious and astounded that he would save her. The gloomy rain woman, his opponent. She, a Phantom Lord mage, and he a Fairy. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She was indescribably touched by the simple, yet life altering gesture.

"So, finally cooled down?" he asked in a teasing voice.

And that was when it happened. The sun. It couldn't be! Her rain stopped falling. She was so moved by his actions, she was swept with happiness and the rain stopped falling. The sky cleared, and for the first time in her life, she saw the sunlight. She blinked hesitantly, almost afraid to open her eyes again, unwilling to admit this may be a dream. She opened them slowly and saw it again. She felt an unfamiliar warmth on her pale face, and she smiled.

"Oh, it's finally clearing up," the man said cheerily.

"These are… clear skies. I've never seen them before," Juvia admitted quietly.

"Really?" he asked incredulously. "Clear skies are great," he said, grinning upward.

Juvia glanced from him, back up to the cloudless blue sky. "Yes, they're beautiful… truly." Her eyes brimmed with tears once more.

"So, you up for round two?" he asked her with a smirk.

The sun glinted off his shiny black hair, casting an almost angelic glow around his head. Juvia was so happy, all she could see were hearts and sparkles. Her mind raced with possibilities and she squealed in delight, nearly fainting in the process.

"Hey! What's wrong?!" he asked worriedly. "Hang in there! Hey! Hey!"

She glanced up at him one more time. Her prince… really had come for her. He saved her life, and took her rain away. She could feel the sun for the first time in her life. It was so… warm, inviting. She closed her eyes and fell fast asleep.

**I know, this one took a while and I promise this is the last of me re-writing what already happened. From here on, I have another plot bunny to follow, but I hope you enjoyed the chapter! A big thanks to Ushiio and The Broken Idealist for being my two reviewers! I'm really glad you've liked my writing and my take on the character so far. You're the best!**


	4. Gray-sama

The sun had just set in Fiore, and the ex-Phantom Lord water mage sat alone in her apartment. It had been nearly a week since Fairy Tail had beaten Phantom and the guild disbanded. Juvia felt somewhat confused, unsure exactly what to feel, how to react. More than anything, she felt relieved. The pressure from her guild was gone; after seeing the way Fairy Tail treated their members she was glad to be rid of the Phantom mark. She had promised herself she would never let herself be used, but that's exactly what Jose had done. Dwelling on it, she was so angry she could spit. But then it came back to her- the memory of Fairy Tail, and her prince. He stole her rain, her heart was so overwhelmed with joy and love after he saved her there was no more room for the gloom that had plagued her. The sun shone, and for once, she was truly happy. Juvia sat on her bed and giggled to herself.

Juvia, the gloomy rain woman, was in love. Her heart felt as if it could burst she was so filled with hope. She heard a tap at her window and turned around to see Gajeel had climbed the tree up to her window, again. She smiled and opened the glass so he could hop in.

"Hey, gloom girl-" he stopped himself short. "I really have to come up with a new nickname, don't I?" he asked, awkwardly rubbing his neck.

"Anything you want to call Juvia is fine, Gajeel-kun," she said sweetly, sitting back on her bed.

"And that! What's with the honorific?! Eh, well, we're friends aren't we? Can't I just call you Juvia?"

Juvia clapped her hands together in delight. "Juvia is so happy you consider us friends, Gajeel-kun! Use whatever name you wish"

Gajeel looked at her curiously. "You really aren't the same person you were back at Phantom," he said, shaking his head. "Although I guess I'm not either." Gajeel began to meander around her room, picking up random objects before he reached her desk. He picked up what looked like a small person and turned it over in his hand. "Really?!" he exclaimed, looking at the shirtless doll with black button eyes, holding it up for her to see.

Juvia blushed and tried to hide her face. "Juvia needs something to occupy her time, and thinking of him makes Juvia happy; it keeps the rain away!" she said quickly.

Gajeel attempted a smile, something he'd been working on. He flashed his teeth at Juvia, and her brows knit together. "Still too scary," she whispered to him. He sighed and plopped down on her bed next to her. "Any luck on finding information about Metalicana?"

The dragon slayer shook his head sadly. He looked up at the water mage and gazed intently at her for a few moments. "Is there something on Juvia's face?" she asked nervously, patting her cheeks lightly.

"No," he said, squishing her cheeks between his fingers. "I was just thinking again about what different people we are now," he admitted. "But hey, if you tell anyone I've gone soft, I'll still have to teach you a lesson!" he grunted with a crack of his knuckles.

Juvia giggled. "Who would Juvia tell? She hardly ever leaves the apartment."

"Except for when you go to follow loverboy around," he teased lightly. Juvia's cheeks turned a bright crimson. "Has he noticed you yet?"

Juvia shook her head quickly. "Juvia doesn't want him to know." She smiled lightly at him. "But Juvia is going to make him a lunch!"

Gajeel quirked an eyebrow at his friend.

"A pento box, and the food will look like his face!" Juvia squealed in delight and kicked her heels into the air. She settled back down and looked into his eyes. "Gajeel-kun? Do you think we'll ever find another guild?"

"That was random," Gajeel mumbled. "I dunno, Juvia. I'm not even sure if I'd want to try again. It would interrupt my search for Metalicana, and I don't like serving a master," he said with a pout.

Juvia nodded slowly. Something about Phantom had turned them dark, they were just beginning to find the light again; she wasn't sure about joining another guild either, but she had to do something to get out of the apartment.

Seeing that Juvia had become immersed in her own thoughts, Gajeel patted her head and slipped back out the window. "See ya tomorrow!" he called.

Juvia locked the window and pushed the curtain back into place before grabbing her sewing kit and settling in to finish her current project. "One day he'll notice Juvia," Juvia repeated to herself with every stitch. She held up the finished product and beamed at the plush version of her ice prince. Juvia hugged the doll tightly and settled into her bed, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

xxxxxx

The sun shone brightly throughout the apartment. Juvia stretched her arms above her head and smiled. No matter how many times she woke up to the brightness she knew it would always make her happy. Juvia hurried into her kitchen and began to make breakfast for herself. After eating and cleaning up, she took out the ingredients to start her character lunch. Juvia hummed cheerily as she cooked, until Gajeel arrived several hours later.

"Oi, oi you going to make me some food like that?" he asked, drooling over her creation. Juvia smacked the back of his hand away and handed him a bowl of ramen. Gajeel shrugged and slurped up the noodles, finishing by shoving the utensil into his mouth. Juvia put her hands on her hips. "Juvia is running out of spoons, Gajeel-kun. I'm going to give you chopsticks from now on."

"C'mon, don't do that!" he whined.

Juvia smiled and patted him on the head. "How was the search today?"

"Still nothing, I don't think I'll ever find him." Defeated, Gajeel collapsed onto the couch. "I swear the only hope I have is by getting Salamander's help, but I'll never stoop that low."

The bluenette padded over to the loveseat and sat next to him, grabbing his hands. "Juvia will help you look."

Gajeel's eyes widened. "You'd really help me?"

"Of course! We're friends now, aren't we?"

"I think so, isn't this what friendship is like?"

"Juvia doesn't know," she admitted. "Juvia thinks Gajeel-kun is both a friend and a brother."

Gajeel was taken aback by her confession, and not knowing what else to do he ruffled her hair and tried to grin at her.

Juvia shook her head. "Still no, too much teeth."

Gajeel sighed heavily. He glanced around the immaculate room and jerked his head back toward the kitchen. "That box for the fairy?"

Juvia blushed and nodded slowly. "This is Juvia's second day working on it. It must be perfect! Then Juvia can give it to him…."

Gajeel chuckled. "He must really be special to you. If he ever hurts you though, I'll beat the shit out of him, you know that right?" he looked at her seriously. "Everyone else has left us Juvia, but I want you to know I'll always be there for you." He set a protective arm around her shoulder.

"Gajeel-kun, Juvia thanks you, but that really shouldn't be necessary."

The dragon slayer gave her a curt nod and got up. "Well I should get going, will I see you tomorrow?"

"You know you're welcome here whenever you'd like Gajeel-kun."

He nodded again and swooped through the window, climbing down the tree and a record speed. Juvia giggled softly. Gajeel was trying to be a good man, she really appreciated that. She drifted back into the kitchen to finish cooking before going to bed. After the box was complete, Juvia tied a bow around it and set it out so she could give her prince his lunch tomorrow. He'd been working so hard to rebuild their guild hall, she knew he needed a good meal. Smiling to herself, she slipped back into her dreamland.

xxxxx

Juvia skipped down the cobblestone street toward the Fairy Tail build site. She giggled to herself. _Juvia is skipping, Juvia is happy! _If anyone had told her how drastically her life would change two weeks ago she would have spat at them. Taking her customary place behind a newly built pillar after setting out the boxed lunch, she waited for her prince to arrive. Seeing the treat, he opened it, and his jaw dropped. His friends crowded around him to get a better look, and the pink haired one took a bite.

_That pento box is not for you! _Juvia wanted to scream, but she bit her tongue as she watched the pretty redhead take a chunk from his face. The ice make mage finally took a bite. Juvia could picture it now. The lunch would be so delicious, he would declare his love and ask for her hand in marriage. _Yes, Juvia will give you thirty babies or more!_ she imagined. Seeing his actual reaction now broke her heart. Her face fell and she stuck out her lower lip in a pout. That didn't turn out at all how she had planned. He seemed satisfied enough, but he'd never know how hard Juvia worked to make that for him. She hid herself behind a tree and resisted the urge to cry. She had worked on that for three days! She sighed heavily as the clouds began to roll overhead.

"Whoa there," an unfamiliar voice said. "Don't let yourself get down so quickly."

Juvia looked around quickly, allowing the clouds to dissipate, trying to see who had found her. A small man with spiky white hair and a funny shawl came around from the other side of the branches. "C'mon kiddo, cheer up. You're much prettier with that smile on your face."

The bluenette looked at him warily, she knew who this man was.; a wizard saint, the master of Fairy Tail! She had expected him to be more… menacing. _Is everyone from Fairy Tail really kind? _"Juvia is sorry to intrude," she said shyly. "I don't want to get in the way of your building project, Juvia will leave now," she got up and dusted off her skirts.

She was just turning to walk away before she heard his voice again. "His name is Gray."

"Huh?" Juvia whipped her head around.

The old man smiled warmly and jerked his thumb over at the half-naked man unloading bricks from a wheelbarrow. "Gray Fullbuster, he's the one you've had your eye on."

Juvia's eyes grew wide and she blushed deeply, trying desperately to hide her face behind the brim of her hat. "J-J-J-Juvia doesn't know what you are insinuating!" she screeched.

"I don't see anything wrong with it. I was young and in love once," he said wistfully. "Ah, but I won't bore you with tales from my youth. Anyway, the reason I came to talk to you," he said slowly, "was because I'd like to ask you to join our guild."

Before Juvia could open her mouth to object, he continued. "I know your opinion of guilds, especially ours, isn't very high right now, but if you could just think about it, I would really appreciate it. You are a very skilled mage, young lady. And the dragon slayer can come too," he snickered. "He's sure keep Natsu in check. My kids are always getting into trouble these days, I swear."

Juvia looked at him, confused. "Juvia didn't know these were all your children, you must have been very busy…" she said nervously.

The master howled with laughter. Wiping a tear from his eye he said, "No, my dear. They're not really mine. But a guild is like a family, and as the master, I am their father," he explained. "I know that's never how Jose saw it but-"

"Juvia will consider it!" she said quickly. She couldn't explain exactly why, but his words had touched her deeply. Juvia had never had a real family. Could a guild really be like one? She would definitely have to talk to Gajeel about this. She waved to the small old man and began the voyage back to her apartment, her mind running in a thousand different directions. One thought kept coming back, "_His name is Gray. Gray Fullbuster." _Juvia would always remember the moment she found out the name of her prince. "Gray," she said quietly to herself. "Gray-sama." The named rolled off her tongue more easily than she had thought. _Yes, sama, it's perfect for Juvia's prince! _"Gray-sama…" she repeated dreamily. "You will know Juvia soon." The bluenette made the decision then to convince Gajeel to join the guild with her. They had to, or Juvia would certainly go mad. She entered her apartment and grabbed her doll, falling onto her bed. "Gray-sama…" she whispered before falling fast asleep.

**And there is the next chapter! I've always loved Juvia and Gajeels' friendship, and wanted to write something about it being formed, I hope you all liked it. A BIG thanks to everyone who has followed/favorited this story, and especially to Ushiio, my faithful reviewer. Until next time!**


	5. Gajeel-kun

**I'm a really horrible person for not updating, but I've been cranking out these chapters so you can expect much more, very soon. Please don't hit me.**

Juvia's bleary eyes cracked open slightly. She smiled gently, remembering her dream. Upon hearing Juvia calling for him, Gray had turned, ran to her, and kissed her passionately. Juvia's face turned crimson as she squealed and nuzzled her plushie mage. _Juvia needs to talk to Gajeel-kun right away! _She thought urgently. The bluenette hopped out of her bed, threw on her dress and hat, brushed her teeth and sprinted out the door. Normally she waited for Gajeel to come to her own apartment, but she was too excited.

_Knock, knock, knock, s_he rapped on the door loudly. The hour was early enough, she was sure that Gajeel was probably still in bed. She waited patiently for him to rise, and he came to the door a few minutes later, rubbing his face. "Who the hell-" he began, not knowing who would come to see him at this hour. "Ah, hey there gloom girl, this is a rare treat," he said, leaning casually against the door frame,

Juvia couldn't wait to be invited inside, her heart was exploding with hop and she wanted to share the good news. "Juvia thinks we should join Fairy Tail together!" she blurted.

Gajeel's face fell. "Juvia," he said calmly. "Take a breath, come in." He grabbed the water mage by the arm and pulled her quickly inside.

She stumbled a bit, but after regaining her balance, she beamed at him again. "Does that mean you will?" she asked excitedly.

Gajeel chuckled and shook his head slowly. "You are one emotional roller coaster, woman." He motioned toward the couch and she sat down primly, waiting for him to respond. "I think you really need to consider this carefully, Juvia."

Juvia could tell he was being extremely serious, and that made her lose some nerve. "Juvia _has _thought about it."

"_No,_" he said emphatically. "I don't think you really have. I know you think you're in love with this guy, Juvia, but he's really just a stranger. A stranger that you happen to follow around," he met her eyes, and she looked away, blushing. "Do you really think after everything we did to that guild, they'd really welcome us with open arms? C'mon, I know you're smarter than that."

"I-it's just th-that Juvia talked to the m-master and," she stuttered.

"Okay, so the geezer wants us to join, sure. We're two very powerful mages, Juvia. He's a guild master. Did you learn nothing from Jose? They're only there to use us, to use our power," he spat.

"But this guild is different, Gajeel-kun! Juvia hears them talking, they value their guild mates above all else…"

"So? That just proves my point!" he shouted, grabbing her shoulders tightly. "If they really care so much about each other, do you honestly think they'd forgive us?"

"Gajeel-kun…" Juvia's lip began to quiver.

"Er, don't cry," he said awkwardly, gently running one hand down her arm. "I just want you to think about this. Truly consider everything I've said. Maybe actually try and talk to some of them, then you can decide if you want to go with them. But me? I'm better on my own anyway."

Juvia wiped a few tears from her cheek, and looked up at him with determination. "You will see, Gajeel-kun. Juvia will convince you!"

Gajeel chuckled. "That's the Juvia I know," he said, wiping the rest of the tears from her face. He pulled her up to her feet and nudged her toward the door. "Now if you don't mind, get the hell out so I can sleep."

Juvia smiled at him and waved goodbye. She had a lot more to consider than she had realized. Did this guild master really want them just for their powers? Adding two S-class wizards could never hurt the standing of a guild. And Gray-sama… she really didn't know him at all, did she?

xxxxxx

The mage was determined. She knew what she wanted to do. She returned every few days to ask Gajeel if his opinion had changed, but the answer was always the same.

Finally she sighed in defeat. "Fine, Juvia will leave you to your search for a while."

"You're going to go follow that stripper now, aren't you?"

Juvia blushed and looked at the ground. "Juvia doesn't think he does that intentionally."

Gajeel snorted and rose, walking her to the door. "See ya," he said unceremoniously.

Juvia bowed, and exited the building, walking slowly back to her own rooms.

"Oi! Juvia!" Gajeel called out after her.

Juvia spun around quickly tilted her head.

"Promise me you won't get yourself hurt, 'kay?" he yelled.

Juvia cupped a hand around her mouth so her voice could carry down the street. "Juvia will do her best!"

Gajeel grinned and gave her a thumbs up before closing his door. The water mage continued down the block, lost in her own thoughts until she heard a few familiar voices. Her eyes widened, and she slipped into an alley. She hid in the shadows and watched as a group of Fairy Tail members walked past, luggage in tow.

The fire breather, pretty redhead, and blonde she now knew as Lucy walked nonchalantly past, with the blue cat floating above their heads. Juvia breathed a sigh of relief when she thought they were gone and started to exit from her hiding place. She rounded the corner and nearly ran into their guild mate. She glanced up and choked back a scream. Her Gray, her Gray-sama was right there, and she had nearly ran right over him. He glanced at her, meeting her level gaze momentarily before continuing down the street. "Wait up, you guys!" he screeched, taking off after them and somehow losing his shirt in the process.

Juvia marveled as the fabric flew off his body and landed in a messy heap on the sidewalk. She watched as they continued on toward the train station. _They're going somewhere. _Juvia scooped up the discarded top and ran back to her apartment. She didn't know where they were going, or what they were doing, but she had to follow. She had gathered the necessities, stuffing Gray's shirt into her bag, and ran back out the door to the station. She arrived, heaving, just as the train was about to depart. Luckily, she had plenty of money leftover from her work at Phantom, and she purchased a ticket and climbed into the car, careful to avoid being seen. She peered at the group from over the seat to make sure they were still there.

As the machine started moving, she wondered idly where they were going this time. She already stalked them on their previous outing, where she was able to assist her love, unbeknownst to him, in winning a very intense pillow fight. Nothing made her feel happier than watching him smack her love rival with the makeshift weapon. Really, did she have to let everything hang out of her robe like that? Juvia scoffed quietly remembering the incident. Settling down into her chair she gazed out the window. Wherever they were going, she was sure there would be an adventure waiting for them.


End file.
